na ##vies were expanded greatly in the mid @ - @ 1880s and consisted of a number of gun ##boats and torpedo @ - @ boats for the defence of harbour ##s and rivers , as well as naval brigades to man vessels and forts . victoria became the most powerful of all the colonial na ##vies , with the iron ##cl ##ad hm ##vs ce ##rber ##us in service from 1870 , as well as the steam @ - @ sail warship hms nelson on loan from the royal navy , three small gun ##boats and five torpedo @ - @ boats . new south wales formed a naval brigade in 1863 and by the start of the 20th century had two small torpedo @ - @
navies were expanded greatly in the mid @ - @ 1880s and consisted of a number of gunboats and torpedo @ - @ boats for the defence of harbours and rivers, as well as naval brigades to man vessels and forts. victoria became the most powerful of all the colonial navies, with the ironclad hmvs cerberus in service from 1870, as well as the steam @ - @ sail warship hms nelson on loan from the royal navy, three small gunboats and five torpedo @ - @ boats. new south wales formed a naval brigade in 1863 and by the start of the 20th century had two small torpedo @ - @